Stormchaser
by KnightRadiantHarry
Summary: After winning the war against the Dark Lord, Harry finds himself thrown into an unusual world. Surrounded by exotic people and cultures, where war seems to be never-ending, a new Dark Lord threatens not only this world but all worlds. What will Harry do? Will he be able to adjust to his surroundings or will this new world collapses around him? SLOW UPDATES
1. Chapter 1 - Questions - Rewritten

A/N. This little plot bunny entered my head and would not let go. Brandon Sanderson's 'Stormlight Archive' is an incredibly detailed and well-written world. It is such a shame there are so few fanfiction stories set in Roshar. I have been waiting patiently, for years, for it to become more popular as a fanfic topic, but enough is enough. I thought "I might as well try myself, what's the worst that could happen?". I've never written a story before, so I have no idea what I'm getting myself into, but hey, let's do this!

Edit: This chapter has been re-written, and Chapter 2 will be soon. The more I write, the better I become at being able to convey what is in my head onto 'paper'. When I re-read chapters 1 and 2, they seemed rushed. If you bear with me this story should get better and better (I hope so anyway)

Ps. There will be spoilers for all 7 Harry Potter books and the books based in the Sanderson Cosmere. Also, for my story to work the outcome of the battle of Hogwarts is a lot bloodier with fewer survivors.

Chapter 1: Questions

Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Won, sat on a set of steps deep within the Department of Mysteries, contemplating death. Two years had passed since the battle of Hogwarts. Two years since Harry had defeated the greatest Dark Lord in history. While the world celebrated Harry's success, Harry himself could only wallow in misery. Despite winning, Harry felt as though he had lost. Everybody he cared about was gone. Harry still remembered the look in Hermione's eyes as Ron jumped in front of the killing curse that would have struck her. The helplessness he felt as she gave a final desperate charge at the Death Eater who had killed her boyfriend.

Harry still questioned whether there was anything else he could have done to save the other members of the famed golden trio. At the time Harry had been locked a battle with Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange, but seeing his friends cut down in front of his eyes had caused Harry to snap. Dumbledore had always said that 'the power he knows not' was love, but at that moment, Harry understood what it truly was. It was a total disregard for his own life. Without the fear of death, Harry went into a berserker-like rage. He ignored defence entirely, concentrating on ending as many of these monsters lives as possible. What followed would go down in history books as one of the most incredible displays of magic ever seen. Death Eaters were cut down without a moment's hesitation as Harry strode through the battlefield towards his life-long enemy.

Voldemort, who had just finished his battle with McGonagall and Flitwick, turned and for the first time in 16 years felt fear. Harry was acting as a one-man army, and his troops, which included; giants, trolls, and werewolves, were breaking. Harry, covered in blood, was striding through the middle of the warzone casting non-stop, staring into Voldemort's eyes with an intensity that sent a chill through the older man. The final confrontation between the two men was surprisingly short. Harry, with complete disregard to his own life, released all of his remaining energy in one mighty blast. If this attack didn't work then at least, Harry would get to see his friends and family again, and he could leave this painful existence behind. Voldemort, already unbalanced, was in no position to stop Harry's attack and he was pierced through the heart, killing him instantly.

Voldemort was dead, and the man who did it was still standing covered in the blood of dozens of enemies. As Harry turned, Voldemort's remaining army fled, not willing to take on the man who had single-handedly taken out half of their forces. Harry stood there for a minute before he collapsed due to a combination of both physical and magical exhaustion. When Harry woke, he had to deal with the knowledge that not only were all of his friend's were dead, but he had personally killed over 100 people. This knowledge had haunted him. He was unable to sleep, hardly ate, and walked through life in a daze. Those that knew him at school would struggle to recognise we he had become.

So, here he sat, staring vacantly at The Veil, attempting to answer the many questions running through his mind that had plagued him since the battle. He didn't know why he expected to find any of the answers that had eluded him for the past two years, but here he sat, regardless. "Why, no matter what happens, does he always survive? Why couldn't he protect his friends?" Those two questions were the two that plagued him the most. If he could have any of his questions answered, it would be those two. The question that was on his mind at the moment though was "Why am I here? Why am I sitting in front of The Veil, broken?" He had his suspicions, of course. Was he here to study it? To see if he could bring them back. Or was he here to end it all? The pain, the misery, the hopelessness.

Over the last two years, he had been hearing voices telling him The Veil was the answer. He had avoided coming here, hoping the voices would disappear on their own. He did not like the link between the voices he was hearing and death and what it meant for him. What happened when you died? Was there, as Dumbledore always said, a "next great adventure?" Would he be punished for all of the people he had killed? Or did everything just end? Despite his reluctance, the voices did not stop and his questions keep accumulating. So, here he sat, alone in the bowels of the Ministry, on the precipice of a choice that will significantly impact his future. Did he carry on, or did he end it all? He had hoped the voices would answer his questions once he was in front of The Veil but, now that he was here, they were unexpectedly silent.

Harry sat motionless staring into the swirling mists that made up The Veil remembering all that had happened in his life that would lead him to think The Veil was a legitimate option. His first experience of the Death Chamber was watching as the closest thing he had to a father, fall The Veil in front of him at the hands of a Death Eater who was supposed to be in Azkaban. It was the end of a disastrous fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was repeatedly tortured by a 'so-called' professor at a school that was supposed to be the 'safest place in Britain'. He had been prosecuted and labelled a liar by a Ministry that was supposed to protect him for saving a part of his 'family' that was supposed to love him. Following this series of tragic events, Albus Bloody Dumbledore finally decided he was ready to learn why Voldemort was always coming after him. It was then that Harry learned that instead of training him to Battle a Dark Lord with over 50 years of experiences, he was to be sent back to prison with his relatives. He was supposed to defeat the greatest Dark Lord ever, with no training.

Supposed to. It seemed to be the motto of Harry Potters life. So, what was he supposed to be doing now? All of this time dreaming of voices and now that he was finally here they go silent. What was the point? Why was he here? Harry slowly rose from his seat on the step and walked towards The Veil, never taking his eyes off the swirling curtain, hoping to discern some answers to his presence in this chamber. He stood undisturbed at that moment, for what felt like hours, questioning life and his place within it. What was the point? Why should he carry on? Why shouldn't he jump in and end it all? Death. If he jumped in now would he get to see them all? What would his parents think about his life? Would they be proud of what he had done? Would they think poorly of him if he ended it all now? Would they be ashamed of his weakness? His inability to carry on. Was he destined always to live while others died? These were a few of the millions of questions that have run through Harry Potters head in his relatively short lifetime.

As Harry contemplated these questions, The Veil continued to ripple in a hypnotic pattern as though disturbed by a breeze from a world beyond The Veil. The longer Harry observed the mists, the faster the ripples became, like the wind before a storm. The swirling grey mass was hypnotic, forming into shapes that seemed impossible to be made by chance. Harry saw faces manifest themselves within the eddying vapour with wide open mouths as though to speak, but still, the voices were silent. As Harry stood there, he considered how the voices behind The Veil would answer some of his questions. How would Sirius answer his questions?

"What was the point? "

"To make the most out of life and live it to the fullest. Find yourself a girl or two and have fun."

"Why should he carry on?"

"There is always more to life. All you have to do is live long enough to experience it."

"What would his parents think?"

"They would be extremely proud of what you have accomplished, and as long as long as you are happy, they would be happy."

Just by standing there and imagining Sirius's responses to some of his questions made him realise that he couldn't give up. It was his duty to live. The world still needed Harry. Everybody dies in the end, but first, you have to live — life before death.

Thinking of the work he had been contemplating leaving behind, Harry realised there was something he could do. The political systems and environment that created Voldemort were still prevalent. Malfoy and all of his other Junior Death Eaters had escaped punishment and were once again spreading the same rhetoric. It was only time before another Dark Lord arrived, and Harry had the strength to help those less capable. Strength before weakness.

Death was the destination of everybody, even Dark Lords who took steps to avoid it. It wasn't our death that defined us but the journey we took to get there. And Harry's journey was not complete. Journey before destination.

Harry felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He had a path. Harry could try one more time, he would not give up! With confidence born through a decision made, Harry spoke aloud the ideals he wanted to live by.

"Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination."

Once the words had left his mouth, The Veil rippled. A face appeared, and the wind grew. A booming voice sounded throughout the chamber.

"THE WORDS ARE ACCEPTED"

The wind became a gale as Harry was dragged towards The Veil.

"Help!" Harry yelled as he scrambled to find something to grab hold of, the only thing he could see that would help was the stairs, but the force of the gale was so strong that he was getting dragged further away from them no matter what he did. Before Harry could think of an alternative, he was sucked through The Veil.


	2. Chapter 2 - More Questions - Rewritten

A/N: First of all, I'm not an author, before attempting this I hadn't written anything resembling a story since I was 11. I have no idea about how to go about tackling a crossover between two epic-fantasy series of such proportions. The incredibly detailed worlds and sheer scope of both series make me a little scared, to be honest. My goal in writing this is to hopefully increase the number of people reading and writing stories based on 'The Stormlight Archive', because the lack of fanfics based on the fantastic 'Stormlight Archive', full stop, let alone crossovers, is just criminal. If by writing this story I inspire more people to fill this niche, then my goal for writing this story will be complete. With that said the updates are going to be slow. Since a diving accident when I was 16, leaving me wheelchair bound, life is just a little tougher than it was. My limited mobility, university, and work as a mentor for people with spinal cord injuries leave me with little time to update this story as often as I would like. With that in mind, I am pleading with anybody to please take this story concept and run with it. Despite all that, I will still update this story whenever I can.

A/N: This chapter has been rewritten, and is now, hopefully, much better. I will probably continue to rewrite sections as my writing style improves with each new post. That's the goal anyway. Any constructive feedback would be much appreciated. If I am to continually improve and make this story as good as I hope, any help would be amazing.

Without further ado.

Chapter 2 – More Questions

Harry shout was cut off abruptly by wind rushing past his face, the force of which was nearly enough to knock him unconscious, the accompanying chill, however, shocked him lucid. Harry was unable to concentrate on anything else but that coldness. It had reached further into him in that instant than swimming beneath the Great Lake for an hour in the middle of a Scottish winter had ever done. Harry would have stayed in that catatonic state for longer if he were not shaken out of it by the sudden appearance a large boulder flying past his head.

Now Harry was truly scared. He had been in dangerous situations before but never before had he felt so utterly out of control. There was nothing Harry could do. The was no way he could get himself out of his current predicament. Harry's mind shut down. He sat himself down, hugged his knees, and just screamed, all the while the storm continued unabated around him. Just after Harry had managed to unburden himself of so many questions, he was assaulted by many more. Where was he? Why was he here? What was happening to him? Why didn't he stay away from the Veil? How long will he be here? Can he get back? What was that voice? The final question was the one that plagued him the most. "THE WORDS HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED". What words? What had he said to cause this? Is this going to last forever?

Harry did not know how long he stayed curled up in a ball, but after what felt like hours, everything suddenly stopped. The change was so abrupt it shocked Harry out of his stupor. Harry slowly stood. Looking around himself he found only blackness. Harry blinked. All was still. The storm was quiet, and everything was purely dark. 'I'm dead' Harry thought. He looked around searching everybody he expected to see. Where were his parents? Where were Ron and Hermione? Where was Ginny? After everything he had been through, was now going to spend eternity in darkness, alone?

Slowly, Harry's wits returned to him. He could still feel the stone beneath him. That thought alone, lead him to believe has still alive. But, if that was the case, where was he? Wherever he was, Harry had to find a way out. Harry opened his mouth to call out, but hesitated. That silence was not to be broken. As he stood there, the darkness shifted. A face, made of blackness, slowly manifested across the sky. Inhuman. Smiling. Harry felt a deep chill scurry down his spine. Harry was unable to comprehend what he saw before him. On Earth, he had seen many incredible things, but this seemed beyond what even magic could accomplish. As he stared, the face started to speak.

"I GUESS YOU ARE CONFUSED. I WILL EXPLAIN WHAT I CAN." The voice boomed. So loud and deep that Harry felt it resonate through his body with enough force that it nearly made him stumble.

"What is happening? Where am I? Who are you?" Harry quickly asked hoping to get a few answers to the questions plaguing his mind.

"THIS, CHILD OF HONOUR. IS WHAT I FEAR WILL COME TO PASS. THE EVERSTORM. THE STORM THAT WILL DESTROY THE FUTURE OF BOTH YOUR WORLD AND ROSHAR IF ODIUM IS NOT STOPPED." This only led to further questions.

"Child of Honour? Roshar? Odium? What are you talking about!?"

"THE UNIVERSE WAS SCOURED FOR THOSE WITH THE POTENTIAL TO HELP IN THE COMING BATTLE. THEY ARE TO BE GIVEN THE CHOICE TO TRAVEL TO ROSHAR TO FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE OR RETURN HOME TO LIVE IN IGNORANCE OF WHAT IS TO COME."

Harry was bewildered. He rubbed at his eyes in an attempt to clear his mind. This could not be happening. He had only just begun to feel as though he had decided what to do with his life after his battle against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Now, this. All he could think about was.

"Why me? Why am I the one who always has to fight?" He pleaded, hoping to understand questions that had followed him ever since he had entered the wizarding world and found that he could never have a year go by without some threat to his life. Whether it be; trolls, possessed teachers, the Dursley's, dementors, acromatulas, basilisks, dragons, Umbridge, inferi, Death Eaters, or Voldemort himself.

"YOU ARE HERE BECAUSE YOU WERE FOUND TO BE A WARRIOR THAT STANDS UP TO PROTECT THOSE THAT CANNOT PROTECT THEMSELVES. YOU WERE FOUND TO HOLD THE IDEALS THAT WOULD MAKE YOU INDISPENSABLE IN THE COMING BATTLE."

"Why can't others fight?" Harry thought head bowed and shoulders slumped.

"OTHERS WILL JOIN YOU IN YOUR FIGHT AND ONLY WITH YOUR COMBINED MIGHT WILL YOU HAVE A CHANCE OF BEATING ODIUM. IF YOU ARE TO FAIL, I FEAR MY VISION WILL COME TO PASS. DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE YOUR OPPONENT. I MADE THAT MISTAKE ONCE."

"How can I underestimate an opponent I know nothing about?" Harry wondered

"YOU MUST UNITE THEM. THE SUN APPROACHES THE HORIZON. THE EVERSTORM COMES. THE TRUE DESOLATION. THE NIGHT OF SORROWS. I HOPE YOU FARE BETTER THAN I DID FOR I AM THE STORMFATHER. I AM GOD. AND I AM DEAD."

Harry stood, silent, stunned. What was going on? How was this Stormfather, who claimed to be god, still able to talk to him if he was supposedly dead? Who was this Odium? And how was he meant to stop a being powerful enough to kill a god?

Every time Harry felt as though he had found the answer to one of his questions, he was assaulted with hundreds more. He looked around trying to find out where he had been taken. What Harry saw confused him even more, it looked like no place on Earth. The land itself was made of rock for as far as the eye could see with little to no lifeforms that he could distinguish.

"Where am I!?" Harry yelled out in frustration spinning around to search for any landmark.

"YOU ARE IN A DREAM, CHILD OF HONOUR"

Harry whirled back around to stare incredulously back at the face in the sky that was looking at him with an unreadable expression on its face.

Bewildered, Harry could only gape as his mind struggled to comprehend what was happing.

"How are you talking to me? I thought you were dead?" Harry blurted as his eyes roamed the sky.

"I AM HIS ... SPREN, YOU MIGHT SAY. NOT HIS SOUL. I AM THE MEMORY MEN CREATE FOR HIM, NOW THAT HE IS GONE. THE PERSONIFICATION OF THE STORMS AND OF THE DIVINE. I AM NO GOD. I AM BUT A SHADOW OF ONE." (Words of Radiance, Chap. 89, The Four)

"Is this dream real? If so, why am I here?"

"THIS DREAM IS MOST DEFINITELY REAL. YOU ARE HERE BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE BILLIONS OF SENTIENT LIFE-FORMS EXAMINED ON THE MILLIONS OF PLANETS THAT SUSTAIN INTELLIGENT LIFE, YOU WERE FOUND TO BE ONE OF THE FEW INDIVIDUALS WHO HAD THE QUALITIES NECESSARY TO HELP IN THE COMING BATTLE."

"Why was I chosen? Why can I not have a normal life?" Harry quietly asked not expecting a reply. Even to his ears he sounded defeated.

"I DO NOT KNOW. I WAS TASKED BY THE STORMFATHER TO PASS ON THESE VISIONS TO THOSE WHO MANAGE TO FIND THEIR WAY HERE. I HAVE COMPLETED MY DUTY, AND NOW YOU MUST CHOOSE. DO YOU WANT TO RETURN TO YOUR WORLD AND CONTINUE TO LIVE IN IGNORANCE OR WILL YOU TRAVEL TO ROSHAR TO PREPARE FOR A FIGHT AGAINST ODIUM? CHOOSE CHILD OF HONOUR!" The Stormfather intoned.

"Two questions please! What is Roshar? And will I ever be able to return home?" Harry pleaded.

"ROSHAR IS A WORLD LIKE YOURS INHABITED BY MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLES AND ANIMALS. IT IS ONE OF MANY WORLDS THROUGHOUT THE UNIVERSE CONNECTED WITH THREADS OF ENERGY. YOU WILL FIND IT BOTH SIMILAR AND DIFFERENT TO YOUR EARTH. IT IS NOT IN MY POWER TO SAY WHETHER YOU WILL BE ABLE TO RETURN TO EARTH IF YOU CHOOSE TO TRAVEL TO ROSHAR, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT IF ODIUM IS NOT STOPPED, YOU WILL NOT HAVE AN EARTH TO RETURN TO. NOW CHOOSE!"

Harry started pacing, scowling at the questions that confronted him. Why him? He was always the one who had to fight. Could he leave everything he had ever known behind? Could he stand by and do nothing? Harry thought back to the revelations he had had about himself while in the death chamber. He couldn't give up. If he had the strength to help those less capable, it was his duty to try. What we did in life mattered as everybody dies.

"Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination." Harry muttered to himself. He was reaffirming with words what he felt within himself.

"CHOOSE!"

"I must try. Before the end, I must try and save those who cannot save themselves." As he spoke, Harry once again felt the lifted weight of his shoulders of a decision made. Harry stood tall with his head held high.

"Take me to Roshar."

A/n. I've updated chapter 1 and 2. I feel as my writing style was pretty bad. Just by writing five chapters I've gotten a little better. Hopefully, the trend continues.


	3. Chapter 3 - Out of the Frying Pan

A/n. Well, it seems as though people are reading this, so I'll continue to try and update. I'm not 100% sure where I'm going with the plot yet. To successfully write a fic about the Cosmere a writer must have a thorough understanding of it, an understanding that I currently do not have. However, I hope that by researching the plot for this story it will allow me to understand and enjoy Brandon Sanderson's universe even more than I currently do.

I'm going to take this opportunity to thank AosUnderSol for my first ever review. In celebration, I'll use this opportunity to reply to a couple of your points. I'm not sure if there will be any romance at all in this fic (as of yet), but I can say that Harry's relationship (if and when there is one) will not be slash. I'm am not against slash fics, but it is not the type of fic I enjoy reading. However, that said, I will not rule out slash relationships being hinted at between background or secondary characters. Secondly, this fic will not be a harem story. Even though I like reading harem stories (in 'Harry Potter') I can't see it working with 'The Stormlight Archive' as there isn't any plausible way for it to happen within the original storyline. If something is not feasible using Brandon Sanderson's well throughout Cosmere, then it won't be in my fic. I will be trying not to add anything new to the Cosmere so that I can write about something I want. I'm going to keep as close to canon as possible.

Anyway enough from me. Let's do this Leeroy!

Chapter 3 – Out of the Frying Pan

Harry opened his eyes and tried to take a breath but quickly found himself trying not to choke on a mouthful of water. Panicking, two thoughts passed through Harry's mind. The first was "what happened?" The last thing he could remember was sitting in front of the Veil in the Death Chamber. The second and most pressing was, "why am I underwater?" Harry spun around in the water looking for the surface but instead found himself looking at a sight that he could not comprehend. Harry felt as though he was floating in the sky, looking down upon a land that to his mind seemed to be from another world. The sky was the black of the blackest midnight with a small white sun that hung on the horizon. Around the land floated tiny flames that reminded Harry of the candles bobbing in the great hall. Harry felt an inexplicable need to examine this new world, but an even greater need quickly reasserted itself into his consciousness. The need. The need to breathe.

Harry twisted away from the unknown world and looked towards the surface, relieved that it only appeared to be a few metres above him. Harry kicked as hard as he could to try and reach the surface as quickly as possible. Harry was experiencing uncomfortable flashbacks of the second task in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. He didn't know at the time that he was only a couple of months away from his life crashing down around him. The resurrection of Voldemort and the subsequent persecution but the Ministry of Magic was the beginning of a downward spiral of pain and death. From that day Harry had felt like a broken man. Harry finally broke the surface and looked around to see what trouble he had inevitably found himself. Harry could see the shore of what looked like a large lake not too far away and so began the laborious journey of swimming towards it fully clothed. In the meantime, Harry examined his surroundings. The lake looked to be about 2-3km wide with mounds of rock rising from the lake edge high into the sky effectively sheltering it from the wind. The water of the lake was a striking emerald colour and was very warm with steam rising from certain areas blanketing the area in a warm cloud. Harry suddenly realised what he was swimming in, a crater. How did he get from the centre of London into an active crater lake? Harry was beginning to get anxious. He berated himself about worrying about how he got here while there were potential hazards that lucked beneath his feet. Harry's mind flashed back to the strange world he had seen while underwater and concluded that the quicker he could make it out of the lake the better.

As he was swimming, Harry looked ahead and noticed what looked like a small settlement on the edge of the lake. The closer, Harry got to shore the more residents noticed his presence. Harry saw a couple run off to somewhere unknown while more and more people began exiting the buildings. Harry began to worry about the sort of welcome he could expect when he reached the shore. He searched for any possible way to avoid the growing, welcoming party but eventually decided that he would need to find somebody who could answer his questions anyway and if these people saw him as a person who was trying to avoid them, they might be less forthcoming. Within another few minutes, Harry could begin to hear voices. The problem Harry had was that he could identify the language. It was unlike any he had heard before, the closest match was one of the languages of the Pacific Islands, but even then, only loosely. Harry's confusion only grew the closer he came to shore. The people on the shore were obviously all of the same race, however, whatever that race was Harry had no clue. "Where am I?" Harry thought to himself. Just as he got close enough to shore to stand on the bottom, Harry found himself face to face with the pointy end of a spear. That however was not the most interesting part, it was the man holding the spear that Harry could not take his eyes off.

He was a tall, red-headed, broad-shouldered man, standing at close to 7 foot in height. His facial hair cut in a fashion that Harry was unused to, but by the looks of the other men behind him, it was very popular for these people. He had long red sideburns that finished just before his chin and a bare top lip. Harry's surprise over the people standing in front of him caused him to miss what the man said to him, and before he knew it, he had been grabbed roughly by his shoulder and dragged to the shore. Harry was unceremoniously thrown onto the ground and surrounded by spear-wielding giants. Harry slowly sat up and raised his hands in a placating manner, hoping to calm his captors. One man stepped forward and spoke gruffly to Harry in his strange language.

"I'm sorry. I don't understand you." Harry replied in a quiet tone, hoping that he wouldn't provoke anybody into accidentally stabbing him.

"Ah, Alethi." He intoned as though Harry had just answered a question. "I will repeat myself. Why were you swimming in our sacred lake? Only Unkalaki are permitted to enter these waters." He asked in such a grave tone Harry knew he was going to have a hard time getting out of trouble.

"Please, forgive my ignorance but, what is Alethi? And who are the Unkalaki? I am from England and just woke up underwater. I have no idea where I am." Harry tried to keep the desperation for answers out of his voice, but even to his ears he sounded pleading.

The man looked at Harry sceptically and replied. "You are Alethi, are you not? You are speaking Alethi, and we are the Unkalaki people." The man finished gesturing to the surrounding villages.

Harry stared at the man for what felt like an hour, but couldn't have been more than a minute. "I am English; I am speaking English; I am from England. I have never heard of a race called Alethi. I have also never heard of a race of people called the Unkalaki. I am sorry, but I am very confused. Where am I?" Harry closed his eyes and rubbed at his face in an attempt to break himself out of this dream. When he re-opened them, he saw that he was still surrounded.

The man looked around at the others silently communicating with them about what to do? "Until we know more you will be confined in a hut. We will convene a gathering to find out what to do. Swimming in the Ocean as an outsider is an executable offence. Therefore, we cannot let you leave. I am sorry." The man spoke in a tone that signified that conversation was over, as he turned to walk away Harry realised, he could not let it end before he found out where he was.

"Wait! Please! I didn't mean to! The last I remember was sitting in front of the veil before I woke up underwater. I have no idea how I got there." Harry stated desperately. In an attempt to stop the man from walking away. Harry, from his seated position, reached out to grab his pants.

WHACK! Harry felt as though his head was splitting. He stared up at the sky from his position where he had fallen, on his back. Three men were standing over him with angry looks on their faces pointing their spears at him and almost daring him to move so they can get rid of their problem.

The man waved them off and spoke in a calm tone. "I know you are confused, but please be patient we will get to the bottom of this. All will be resolved soon." They way he said resolved left Harry in no doubt that the man assumed that Harry was going to be executed.

The man turned to another and spoke in his native language a command before walking away. Harry was unceremoniously dragged further into town before he was thrown into a hut and the door slammed shut. Harry stared at it, and all that he could think was "why me? Why can't I have a normal year for once in my life?"


	4. Chapter 4 - Caught Between a Rock and

'Authors Note': this is a little 'authors note' to say that most of my 'authors notes' in the following chapters will be smaller than my 'authors notes' of the previous chapters. In my previous 'authors notes' I felt as though things needed to be said for people to understand the story and the direction I wanted the story to take. My following 'authors notes' will be a lot smaller because I have covered most of the things I needed to say in my previous 'authors notes'. The current 'authors note' was written with the express intention of trying to write 'authors note' as many times as I can in a paragraph while still conveying a message. I feel as though this 'authors note' has achieved my goal and therefore I will end my 'authors note' here. Thank you for listening to this 'authors note'.

' **Authors note' count: 13!** Other authors, take note!

Well, on with the show!

Chapter 4 - Caught Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Harry sat in his cell, contemplating life. Ever since he had entered the magical world his life had been in danger. Now he was just in one more situation where his life with under threat, what other 19-year-old could say the same. Of all of his previous life or death situations, his current condition is one of his most confusing. Here he is, sitting in a hut made from what looks like some type of rock, waiting to get executed for swimming in a lake. What had he done in a previous life to deserve all the trials and tribulations that is plagued him since birth?

It had been nearly a day since he had been thrown into this hut, as far as he could tell with no windows open to the outside world, and he had yet to receive any food or water. This was bringing back uncomfortable memories of life at the Dursley's. The one upside of his previous experience is that he knew he was still some hours away from stomach cramps, and about a day away from hallucinations due to dehydration and hunger. He knew, however, that it wouldn't matter in the end if he was going to be executed anyway. So, Harry sat as still as possible with his back to the wall in an attempt to conserve energy.

Throughout this time Harry tried to create a list of everything he knew about his current situation. The most obvious starting point was the race of people who held him captive. These people, who looked like a very physically advanced race of people, were very primitive in terms of technology, evidenced by Harry sitting trapped in a stone hut guarded by spear-wielding red-headed giants. So, either; they were isolated enough not to have been affected by the last 1500 years of technological advances, while still being able to speak multiple languages, including English; or he was not on Earth. The language aspect was the most confusing part to Harry. How could they still speak English without knowing what it was? They thought that Harry was speaking a language called Alethi, whatever that was, but he was speaking English, wasn't he? Or is he somehow speaking another language without knowing? It wouldn't be the first time Harry had spoken another language without realizing it, thinking of his experiences in his second year at Hogwarts with Parseltongue. Harry doubted he would never know the answer, because both possibilities were equally as plausible.

There was no race of people like these, so called, Unkalaki living by an active crater on earth, unless he was mistaken. So, unless there was a tribe the world, and the growing global surveillance network, had missed, he was somewhere else. The thing Harry could not comprehend was where that somewhere else was. Was he on another planet? A point in favour of Harry being on another planet was the strange vision he had had of that underwear world. He knew the wizarding world had many unexplained phenomena. However, this world seemed beyond even what the wizard and world could explain. How did Harry managed to find himself on another world, if that was indeed where he found himself? The last thing he remembered was standing in front of the veil contemplating life, and his place within it. Had something happened? Had he decided to end it all? Had he thrown himself through the veil? Does that mean that this land is what was on the other side of the veil?

Harry sat up suddenly, eyes wide with the sudden realisation. Had Sirius found his way here as well? Harry remembered the circumstances before Sirius's death, Bellatrix had hit him with a stunner before he fell through the veil, so there was a good chance he was still alive. So where was he? Harry continued to contemplate these questions for another couple of hours before the door of his cell was opened by a villager that had, what Harry was beginning to realise was a trait of this race of people, long red sideburns framing his large head. Despite the man's impressive 7 foot in height, he walked with an elegance that is rarely seen in people as tall as he was. However, the size of this man was not what grabbed Harry's immediate attention, but the tray of food that he was holding. The smell of it hit Harry's nose causing his starved stomach to growl loudly announcing Harry's hunger to the newcomer. The incoming visitor gave Harry a look that conveyed apology.

"I know it has been a while since you have been in here, and for that I am sorry, I have bought you some food and a cushion to increase your comfort while you stay, hopefully." The man said, holding out the tray of food to Harry.

Harry wanted to rage at him. He wanted to yell, "what is the point of comfort if you are going to execute me anyway?" However, Harry knew that that type of attitude would not get him the answers that he so desperately needs. So instead of anger, Harry replied with gratitude.

"Thank you, sir. I just hope that this misunderstanding can be put behind us so that I can leave this place on good terms with you and your people."

Harry hoped that his anger did not bleed through into any of his expressions. He tried to get control of his emotions through his limited understanding of occlumency. He had stopped trying to improve his mental shields since the end of the war, but Harry resigned himself to continuing his self-improvement if he managed to get himself out of the situation. His tendency to let his emotions control his actions could get into really big trouble in an unknown world. Harry slowly stood and took the tray, not wanting to give any reasons for this man to take away his last potential meal. As Harry returned to his spot seated with his back to the wall and took a look into his bowl. Harry was once again surprised by the little details of the land he found himself in. His stew had many unusual looking ingredients in it. There looked to be pieces of some unknown crustacean, with bits of shell throughout. The stew also contained what looked like some sort of tuber and an unknown type of grain. Harry didn't know what the stew was made from, but considering the delicious smells emanating from it, alongside having experienced eating cold soup out of a can at the Dursley's, Harry was more than willing to eat what was in front of him. As Harry brought the spoon to his mouth, he was pleasantly surprised at the delicious flavour.

"This is very nice, thank you very much," I stated around a mouthful of the delicious stew.

The man looked momentarily surprised before a genuine smile crossed his face. "You are not your typical airsick lowlander. You know good food when you see it. Most of your kind turn away from shells. They do not appreciate the goodness within them. It makes you strong."

Harry took a look at the man standing opposite him, taking in his impressive frame, and couldn't help but agree. Alongside his knowledge on nutrition and the benefits of different vitamins and minerals, Harry decided that he would take this man's advice and eat more shells, it wasn't like they tasted bad. "If I ever get out of here" Harry mused. Harry, realised that he had inadvertently given himself an opportunity to open relations with this man.

Harry smiled. "By the look of you, I cannot disagree. I may have to eat this more often so that I can get taller. You're making me feel like an ant amongst giants. I am Harry by the way." Harry slowly stood and extended his arm.

The man laughed a great big booming laugh before stepping forward and clasping wrists with Harry. "I do not know what an ant is, but you are unlike any other Lowlander I have met. My name is Numuhukumakiaki'aialunamor, but you may call me Rock. Your lowland tongue is too small to be able to pronounce my name correctly.

Harry laughed and clasped wrists in return. "It is great to meet you rock. Would you happen to know where my bad luck has managed to send me? I do not remember much before waking up underwater."

Rock's happy expression turned confused. "What do you mean? You are in the Horneater Peaks. The Ocean we found you swimming in was the sacred 'Waters of Life' dedicated to the gods of the waters. It is death for an outsider to swim in the waters."

Harry started. He finally had some answers. But, that only led to more questions. "I'm sorry, but I've never heard of a place called the Horneater Peaks. I am from England on the planet Earth."

Rock stared into Harry's eye's trying to determine the truth in Harry's statement. It was at this time that noticed the striking colour of Harry's eyes. Rock said in his native language before he slowly raised his hand to grab Harry lightly by the chin. Rock leaned close and rotated Harry's face all the while looking into his eyes. "Your eyes. Have they always been this colour?" Rock stated as he dropped Harry's chin and took a step back.

"Assuming they haven't changed since I woke up underwater, then yes I inherited my green eyes from my mother."

Rock was quiet for a number of seconds before he softly asks, "what did you see?"

"What?" Harry was confused, what was Rock trying to get him to say.

"What did you see? In the ocean?" Rock's tone became a little more exacerbated.

Confused Harry decided, when in doubt speak the truth. "When I woke up, I was underwater and nearly choked on my first breath. I spun around attempting to find the surface, but during my struggle, I saw what I could not, and cannot, fully comprehend. It looked as though I was looking down upon a strange world with a black sky and a small sun. There were floating flames around me. What is going on? What was that place?"

Rock was stunned. This outsider whose eyes are the same colour as the 'Waters of Life' had seen the land of the gods. "This must be a sign," Rock thought to himself. He looked over the man in front of him trying to find a reason why this outsider had been honoured with his vision. He had Alethi colouring with the distinctive black hair. However, he was quite a bit shorter than a typical Alethi, and he hasn't gained any of the distinctive features of some of the shorter races on Roshar that would signify a mixed heritage. These observations alongside what this outsider has described his experiences led Rock to a startling conclusion. Harry was telling the truth.

Rock turned to head out of the door with a parting comment to Harry, "I will pass on this new information, but I am sorry in the meantime you must stay here. I will make sure you get regular meals." With a final glance, Rock left, shutting the door behind him.

Hoping against hope that whatever Rock was off to do it would help him get out of his current predicament, Harry sat himself down with his back to the wall and attempted to clear his mind. If he had a chance of survival Harry concluded that he better improve himself if he wanted to survive.


	5. Chapter 5 - Trial

A/N: I feel as though this is my best chapter yet. Hopefully my improvement continues in later chapters. A short A/N this time, so…

Let the trial commence!

Chapter 5: Trial

It wasn't long before the door was opened once more and Harry was ushered out into the open air guarded by two villagers. It took a while for his eyes to adjust to the bright sky. After spending nearly two days locked in his hut/cell, the sudden brightness blinded him. When he could see again, Harry found himself looking upon an unexpectantly familiar scene. There were stone huts with shuttered windows, currently open to the elements, and chimneys billowing smoke. To his left was a large building out of which Harry could hear the clanging of metal, signifying some sort of blacksmith. There were a group of villagers, both men and woman, sitting outside another building weaving. In the distance, he saw a group tending a field of plants. Harry spotted an Inn with villagers drinking and singing songs in a language that Harry could not place, the sounds thrumming in Harry's chest. The entire village looked like the setting of a Renaissance fair.

Despite the familiarities, there were significant differences between Medieval Britain and where Harry had inexplicably found himself. The rocky ground was nearly entirely barren, with no hint of grass, only the occasional weird polyp-like animal/plant that looked like it should be underwater. There were pools of lava, continually billowing out steam that blanketed the landscape, and a massive crater lake filled with emerald coloured water. These things individually were unusual, but when combined with the people who lived here and the old nature of the village, Harry was beginning to doubt he was still on Earth. Harry examined his surroundings once more before looking to the sky. What Harry saw left him in no doubt that he had somehow found himself on another planet. High above him were three brightly coloured moons; one small and violet; one large and pale blue; and the third small and green. Harry's mind raced, trying to come to terms with where he found himself; however, the only coherent thought he had was "that must play havoc on the tides".

As Harry surveyed the area a ribbon of light floated past his face. Ducking Harry yelled, "What was that!"

The guards looked at him as though he had asked them why water was wet. The look of incomprehension on their face would have at any other time made Harry chuckle, but right at this moment, it was the furthest thing from his mind. Spinning around Harry tried to spot what had flown past him. It took him a couple of seconds to locate it. "There, by that barrel. That light, what is it?" Harry asked the guards while pointing at what could only be described as a will-o-wisp. The guards looked to where he was pointing before looking to each other, and then back to Harry.

"What?" One of the guards said. "The wind spren?" the way the guard was asking his question made Harry feel as though he had asked the stupidest question.

"Yes! I've never seen one of them before. What is it?"

The confusion on the guards' faces grew. The same guard as before, after once again looking over at his partner, answered "It's a spren. How can you not know what a spren is?"

Harry took a breath and calmed himself. He turned away from the spren and looked towards his guards before calmly stating, "I am not from around here. I have never seen a spren before. What are they?"

The guard looked dubious before answering "Spren are the spirits of things. That one is the spirit of the wind. You will find them outside floating on the winds. If you look over there, you can see more of them." As he finished he pointed out over the lake at what Harry could now see were dozens of floating lights moving in the breeze. "Spren come in an unknown number of forms. You have other elemental spren; flamespren, lightspren, and rainspren. You also have emotion spren; angerspren, awespren, fearspren, and confusionspren." With the last, he pointed at Harry's shoulder. Harry looked at what he was aiming at and found a small grey light breaking apart into smoke and reforming. Harry thought back to his time in his cell and remembered the tiny brown specks with wings that he had seen floating around his head. At the time he had thought he was hallucinating, but now he was not so sure.

Harry decided to get confirmation from his guards. "Are there such things as hungerspren?"

"Yes, of course. They appear as small brown specks with wings." That confirmed it for Harry. They were not lying to him. That meant that the rules of nature wherever he had found himself were utterly different to Earth. With his eyes now fully open he looked around at the village and noticed what he had earlier been assuming were just lights. Spren were everywhere. By the weavers, he could see silvery fingers of light. At the feet of the patrons in the inn, he could see blue lights forming into small blue leaves. How had he missed these earlier? While Harry contemplated his oversight, the guards got him back walking.

As Harry followed his guards, he examined everything they passed with greater scrutiny. He would need to understand his surroundings if he was going to be able to survive. Soon their destination became apparent, a large stone hall that looked to be two or three floors high. It was the largest building he had seen so far, and its walls seemed to be covered in elaborate swirling patterns carved into the stone. Was the pattern natural, or is it a hint towards a more sophisticated culture than he initially assumed? Standing in front of the building was the imposing figure of Rock, the man who bought him his meal, looking at him with a smile on his face. Seeing Rock, and his friendly expression, eased a bit of the tension in Harry's chest, and he started to walk forward with lighter steps. Harry took the opportunity to observe Rock in a more natural setting, noticing his easy smile and willingness to engage others in conversation as they walked past. Everybody seemed to stop and say a few words to him before continuing on their way, with a smile on their faces. Either that man was a significant person in the village hierarchy, or he was generally well-liked. Harry vowed to get to know him better. He would be a great ally and friend if Harry were indeed stuck here.

"Hello Rock," Harry said, as they came up to the giant man, "fancy seeing you here. Have you come to see me executed?" Harry said with a self-deprecating smile.

"don't be such a pessimist Harry. Your fate has not been set in stone yet." Rock said with his perpetual smile plastered across his face.

Harry wanted to believe Rock. He wanted to think that nothing could go wrong. That they would understand that this was all a massive misunderstanding and help him find out where exactly, he was. But Harry knew he could not get his hopes up. His luck did not work that way. If anything could go wrong, I did go wrong. No, there was no way that he was going to fall into that trap. No Sir! Harry was going to stay on edge. Throughout his life, he had come to believe that it was better to expect the worst and don't hope for anything better. Hope only leads to disappointment.

Harry's mood, only recently raised by Rock, settled back into his usual depressive state. To anybody else, living their lives in a constant state of negative affect would cause them to shut down and lead unproductive lives. Harry, however, know no other way of living, his entire life was beset with tragedy after tragedy. It didn't take many negative experiences for a person's outlook on life to fundamentally change, and the multitude of tragedy in Harry's life had left him a broken man.

Harry and Rock entered the building flanked by the two guards. They walked down a long narrow hallway made of the same odd stone as all of the other buildings in the village. The swirling patterns he had noticed on the outside of the building looked even more fantastic close-up. He could tell, despite their intricate nature, that they were a natural part of the rock. It seemed as though the wind had somehow been trapped in the stone and that if he looked for long enough, he would see it move. They passed several doorways with complex woven mats covering the openings with detailed historical scenes woven into them. They continued walking towards a set of wooden doors that were so intricately carved with scenes of such beauty that it surpassed anything he had seen before, both here and on Earth. Harry walked up to it and ran his fingers over the figures reverently.

"This is incredible. The amount of detail is mind-boggling." Harry breathed.

"Thank you," Rock said. "It shows the history of the Unkalaki people and keeps us from turning into air-sick lowlanders who can't tell their father from their uncle. This specific carving shows the first Nuatoma to find these peaks and his confrontation with the gods of waters, mountains and trees. They tasked him with creating a settlement and to act as the guardians of the bridge between the Cognitive, Physical, and Spiritual Realms. It is a job we take very seriously, and the fact that you were found within that bridge should come close to explaining the reaction the village had towards you."

"Oh" Harry stated eloquently.

Rock pushed open the doors and walked into a large spacious hall. The room was lit by wall-mounted torches whose flickering light bounced off the tapestry-covered walls causing the scenes on them to appear alive. This room further exemplified a rich culture that prided itself on the achievements of its ancestors. They were walking towards a large wooden table with five high backed chairs behind it. A middle-aged man in elaborate clothing, who was obviously some form of leader for the village, sat in the central chair. Harry examined him and could tell that he was not the type of leader who delegated all the work to others. Looking at his hands, and his broad frame, Harry could tell that he was the type of leader who would work alongside his villagers in whatever they did, be it farming, potting, or weaving. Oddly enough the man's look put him at ease. He looked like the type of man who put his people before himself. Harry had had too many bad experiences with leaders who felt their only job was to make their own lives better (Fudge). If this man was the type of leader that listened to others and made decisions based on what was the best for his people as a whole, Harry might have a chance. "Stop that!" Harry quickly berated himself. He could not afford to get his hopes up.

Either side of the man sat two other villagers. To his right, a young man and a middle-aged woman, who looked to be his wife and son. To his left, a younger middle-aged couple. Brother and sister-in-law perhaps? The leadership of this village seemed to be hereditary. If things worked along the same lines as on Earth, his son, sitting directly to his right, must be the next in line. His brother, if indeed it was, was to his left. Second in line perhaps? The presence of the two women at the table gave Harry some crucial clues into the culture of these people. The observation he had made earlier, of men and woman working side by side at the weavers' hut, showed Harry that this culture valued the input of their females. Is there gender equality within this race of people? If so, it made Harry sad that he had to leave Earth before he found it. The wizarding world was extremely male-dominated, with very few examples of woman in leadership roles within the Ministry of Magic. Amelia Bones, before she was murdered by Death Eaters, was one of the few examples of powerful women, and the fact that she had no children of her own showed what sacrifices she had to make to rise up in the ranks in a male-dominated society.

Harry was unsure whether any of his observations would be of any help to him. His experiences with people in power had left him with a significant distrust of those in power. Harry's knowledge of elected officials had left much to be desired. They seemed to be willing to say and do anything to stay in power. That said though, Harry's experiences with those that held power inherently, Dumbledore, for example, was not much better. Harry's life showed that 'if a person is held sacred by too many people, then they are by definition beyond criticism. And when a person or an institution becomes beyond criticism, it seems they slip inevitably towards corruption'*. Harry knew that he was a cynic, but with little evidence to the contrary, and an understanding that his beliefs had allowed him to survive up until this point, his views would stay the same for a little while yet.

Harry was escorted up to the table where there was an empty seat for him to sit in. Harry bowed to the group before sitting, hoping that his show of respect would leave a good impression with those who would decide his fate. Sitting down Harry waited to be addressed. Time seemed to stand still as the leader evaluated Harry with piercing brown eyes. Time slowed as they examined each other. It was as though he was determined to find something in his eyes that would signify Harry's guilt. Harry took a breath and cleared his mind. As he felt his occlumency shield strengthen, Harry felt himself go calm. Harry had found throughout the war that when his occlumency shields were strong his doubts slipped away and he was able to make more informed, rational decisions. The many adventures he had during his early years at Hogwarts were often started because he would always act on his impulses. "Griffindorish stupidity" Snape's would have called it.

The silence stretched as the two men stared at each other. After what seemed like hours but must have only been a few seconds the man smiled. Whatever the man saw in Harry looked to please him. "Welcome traveller. We are here today to assess your guilt of swimming in our sacred waters and determine what, if any, punishments should be enacted." The man stated calmly. "My name is Sashuhunukukia'ahasan. You may call me Hasan. This," he turns to the boy on his right, "is my son and heir Sahuhunuma'arashi. You may call him Rashi. The beautiful woman to his right is my light and life Tali'iaka'ata. You may call her Tali."

Harry was getting overwhelmed. How was he going to remember these names? They were unlike any name he had heard before. They were almost musical in their make-up. "pay attention!" Harry quickly admonished himself. Getting side-tracked and insulting someone by getting their names wrong, was not the way to clear his name.

"To my left" Hasan continued unaware of Harry's distress, "is my brother and second in command Halmana'ana'calmi'nor. You may call him Halm. To his left is Numuhu'li'nati. You may call her Nati. What is your name traveller?"

"Greetings Hasan, Rashi, Tali, Halm, and Nati," Harry said nodding to each, in turn, hoping that by repeating the names he would have more of a chance to remember them. "My name is Harry Potter. You may call me Harry."

"Well met Harry. Now first things first I would like you to describe the events leading up to you swimming in our most sacred waters."

"I am sorry Hasan, but to best defend myself I must tell you a story, and I'm afraid it is quite long. Can I please take up some of your time so I can best convey my story?" Harry hoped he would be able to give a summary of his life leading up to the veil, using it as an unusual character reference. Hasan was quiet for a few seconds as he looked at Harry before nodding.

"I will give you the time. However, understand that if I find your explanations lacking and feel as though you have wasted our time it will work against you. Do you still want to continue?" Harry paused for a second to think it over but knew that he could not explain how he had ended up here without a thorough background.

"I understand Hasan, but my story would be incomplete without telling you where I come from. So, whether it helps or hinders me, this is my story." It took over an hour for Harry to describe the first and second wizarding wars and his part in them. Harry was required to sacrifice his remaining emotional fortitude to describe the deaths of all of his friends and the emotional turmoil that led him to the veil as a possible way out. With tears in his eyes, he began to describe what he had seen underwater, quickly getting their undivided attention. With a final, "and then I found myself at spearpoint under your care," Harry's story was finished. Everybody was silent for several minutes. Harry used that time to get his emotions back under control before looking up at the people who were to decide his fate.

Hasan looked Harry in the eyes while he processed what had been said. He suddenly turned to Rock, who Harry had forgotten was there, saying "Lunamor please take Harry here to get some food while we decide what to do." Rock stood up from the seat he had been sitting in off to the side and walked towards Harry.

"Follow me, Harry. You must be hungry after that. Let's leave, and over lunch, I'll tell you the story of how I met my wife, it is quite a tale." Harry understood that Rock was just trying to distract him and, at that moment, Harry loved him for it. Harry followed rock out of the building leaving those that would control the future of one Harry Potter behind.

 _*Paraphrasing a quote by the incredibly talented Tim Minchin. A warning for anybody religious. If you want to watch some of his stuff on YouTube be aware he talks a lot about religion. His insights, comedic timing, and musical talent make him one of my favourite comedians._

A/N If anybody can please help me by coming up with some more Unkalaki names I would be supremely grateful, I've reached the limit of my creative talents.

A/N2 - Chapter 1 and 2 have now been rewritten. I believe it is now a much more well-rounded story. Sorry for the delay but Chapter 1 and 2 have been annoying me for a while, and for this story to act as a catalyst for more Stormlight fanfics it has to be done to the best of my ability.


	6. Chapter 6 - Title Unknown

Chapter 6 – Title Unknown

It was several hours before Harry was called back into the hall. Harry's anxiety that had somehow been ignored due to Rock's presence returned ten-fold. Were these going to be his last moments alive? Harry, having only recently determined that he wanted to live, decided if they were going to sentence him to death, he was going to fight it. With a determined step and steel in his eyes, Harry strode towards the village leaders. Without permission, Harry quickly bowed, sat and waited, not taking his eyes off Hasan.

Hasan saw the look in the eyes of the young man in front of him and started. This was not the same man from earlier, whose eyes were that of a broken man. It was as though there was nothing left keeping him in the physical realm. Now he had the eyes of a warrior. This man was ready for a fight. He understood that if his decision went against this Traveller, then he would need to back his words up with actions.

"Welcome back, Harry. I'm sorry it has taken so long. I will be quick about this as you are anxious to hear what we have to say. Usually, a case like this would be easy. Any foreigner caught swimming in our sacred waters are executed. Case closed." Harry tensed. "But in this case, your circumstances have played a part in our judgment. You had little to no control over where you entered Roshar, and since that time you have comported yourself in an honourable way. It is your behaviour since you have arrived, that had the greatest impact on our final decision. You will not be executed."

Harry released a breath he did not know he was holding. However, before he could relax, Hasan spoke up. "However, we could not let you go unpunished. That could set a precedent that others could exploit. Therefore, we have decided you will spend a year in servitude with our people to atone for your actions. Furthermore, we have decided, during that time, your time will be served under Rock. You are to learn the ways of the Unkalaki to understand better the honour we are bestowing upon you.

"I would hope that you won't see this as too much of a punishment, and rather as an opportunity. You are here, in a world unlike your own, with little to no knowledge about the customs of the people you have found yourself a part of. My wish is that, through working alongside our people, you will gain the skills needed to survive. I have little to no doubt that without this knowledge, you will not survive long on Roshar." The earnestness in Hasan's voice killed the retort on Harry's tongue. Harry turned and looked to Rock, who gave him a slight nod and a smile. Harry turned back to the leaders of this village and, in a respectful tone as possible, answered the village elders.

"I am extremely humbled by your willingness to take my situation into account, and will dedicate myself to learning as much as possible, so I can comport myself in a way in which your people would respect." Harry knew that if he were to survive long enough to be able to return home, he would need as much information on this new land as possible.

"Rock will show you around the village, and inform you of your duties. We hope that you will learn to love this place as much as we do. Please, take your time to get settled. We do not expect much from you for the first few days; however, please learn quickly. We will only ignore unintentional slights for so long."

Harry stood, and with a final bow, turned and followed Rock out of the hall. They walked in silence until they were outside in the welcome sunlight. Harry stopped, and taking a deep breath, looked to the sky. Harry's thoughts were racing through his head, trying to calm himself after the emotions of the past few days. He was free, well as free as he could be in a land dominated by red-headed giants of which he was bound to service for one year. Harry looked to Rock, and in a calm tone, asked, "so what now?"

Rock smiled. And with a mischievous look on his face asked Harry "how about some lunch?"

BREAK

The next few hours flew buy in a whirlwind of confusion for Harry. As they were walking through the village Rock was telling Harry stories about his people that Harry struggled to comprehend, all the while introducing him to every villager they passed. Harry let his legs take him as his mind worked overtime to receive as much information as possible. However, as they reached a well-kept home, all Harry could think was that this was going to be a gruelling year.

Rock pushed open the door with a broad smile, loudly proclaiming his arrival. Out of a doorway, towards the end of the entry hall, ran a little red-headed girl, who couldn't be more than three years old, straight into Rocks open arms.

"Hello, my little one." Rock laughed as he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. "You seem to be in a happy mood. Which of your brothers have you attacked now?" No sooner had those words exited Rock's mouth than a slightly older child ran into the hallway, with a look of anger on his face. It quickly became apparent what had happened. The little boy, who looked to be around five years old, was dripping wet, with a bucket under his arm. His run came to a sliding halt when he saw his father.

"Father! Tuaka'a attacked me. She threw this at me, and now I'm all wet." He said, holding out the bucket.

"No, I didn't!" The aforementioned Tuaka'a yelled, all the while slung over Rock's shoulder. "It fell on him. I did not throw it!" Her position on Rock's shoulder slightly undermined her stern look.

"Yes, you did! You then ran away laughing."

Harry noticed the small smile on Rock's face before he placed Tuaka'a down beside him. Kneeling, Rock's face turned serious before he looked into the eyes of the little girl without saying a word. After a few seconds, Tuaka'a started to squirm before she firmly stated, "I did not throw the bucket at Star." She stood there, arms folded, with a defiant look on her face.

Rock continued to look into his daughter's eyes silently. Tuaka'a quickly added, "It fell on him."

Rock, without looking away from his daughter, quietly said; "and how, by chance, did this bucket come to fall on your brothers head?"

Tuaka'a's squirming became even more pronounced before she said: "it off the top of the door." Standing taller, she quickly added, "I don't know how it got there?"

Rock, with a patience that had to have come from experience, calmly inquired "and the little girl who both; loves to climb, and loves to prank people, just happened to be nearby to witness this event occurring?"

Said little girl took this as a lifeline and quickly declared, "yes! I was walking by."

Rock said "your clothing seems to suggest otherwise," looking down at the scuffed and dirty clothing. "For getting your clothes dirty, you will have to help your mother with the washing for the next two days."

Tuaka, with a look on her face as though this was a regular occurrence, quietly said: "yes, father."

Harry smiled. The scene of domestic life that had played out in front of him had lifted his spirits. The simplicity of it was something that he had not experienced for some years. Rock stood and walked towards the door at the end of the hall with three people following on his heels. The two children stayed close to Rock stealing glances at Harry, obviously wondering who this outsider was.

The room they walked into was one of such homeliness that Harry instantly felt at ease. The room was a large room that looked to function as dining, living, and kitchen combined. There was a small fire burning in an oven with an assortment of pots and pans cooking on the top. Behind it stood a woman with a round face with her dark red hair in a braid that hung down between her shoulder blades. She looked up at Rock with a smile before her attention turned to the two children hidden behind Rock's legs. Taking in the scene, she quickly announced, looking at Tuaka'a, "So, I can expect your help with the washing for the next few days." Her stern visage was ruined by a slight smile at the corner of her mouth.

As her attention was diverted from her children to Harry, Rock introduced him. "Tuaka, this is the Traveller, Harry. Is going to be a part of the Unkalaki for the next year and help me in my duties. Harry this is Tuaka'li'na'calmi'nor. You may call her Tuaka or Song, pulling the woman close, one arm around her shoulders. "She is the best woman in all the Peaks. This little menace," he said, rubbing the little girl's hair, "is Tuaka'a'Lumi'nor, Beautiful Song or Tuaka'a, my youngest daughter." Rock then pulled the wet boy closer, grabbing a towel from under the counter and wrapping it around his shoulders. "This is my youngest boy, Sokka'a'cali'nor. You may call him Sokka or Star" Looking around; Rock continued, "I have four other little tykes around here somewhere that I'll introduce later. However, let's leave that for later."

Turning, and walking towards the oven, he asked his wife "how is the broth going? Do you think my experiment has paid off?"

"Perfect, my dear."

Rock lifted a spoon to his lips and tasted whatever was in the pot. Sipping and then smiling. "We make an awesome team. I'll be forever grateful I let you win our fort building competitions."

"You spend two hours around this airsick lowlander, and you are already starting to spout nonsense. You lost fair and square, and you know it!"

Rock walked back towards his wife, smirking at Harry. He turned towards his wife and said: "If I didn't have to show this 'airsick lowlander' around, as you called him, I would have taken you into the bedroom to debate this point with you 'till morning."

Tuaka'a and song quickly put their hands over their ears and fled the room yelling.

Harry looked to Rock and Song's face and quietly chuckled. Rock looked over to him and with a smile, inquired, "lunch?"

BREAK

During lunch, which was an absolutely delicious broth, Rock started Harry's introduction into the Unkalaki culture. According to Rock, the Unkalaki people were a relatively small group of tribes densely situated around the craters of a mountain range called the Horneater Peaks. They were highly spiritual people who believed it was their sacred duty to guard the crater lakes, which were apparently the 'Place of Gods'. Rock also told Harry that a Horneater's occupation is determined at birth. First and second sons obtain food, third sons are craftsmen, and fourth sons are warriors. This was a very enlightening conversation for Harry because it highlighted what they determined was more important. With food ad craftsmen being seen as the most essential roles in society, the village should always be able to feed and house their population. This view was refreshing for Harry, who had gotten used to the wizarding world's hierarchy, based on magical power, blood status and money. Despite this, he was also slightly apprehensive. Harry felt as though many choices had been taken from him since Halloween when he was one year old. The idea that this group of people wouldn't allow their children to choose their own path made him feel a little uneasy.

Rock also used this time to inform Harry what he would be doing over the next year. As a third son Rock was a craftsman, who plied his trade as a cook. Harry would help Rock produce and deliver meals to the village. Harry was happy with this. Despite not being allowed to eat anything that he made; water and bread and a can of soup were good enough for him in the Dursleys eyes, he loved the process and experimentation involved in cooking. That Harry, a boy with a potions and charms prodigy for a mother and an innate cooking skill, could barely pass his OWLS highlighted how poor a teacher Snape was.

Rock urged Harry to use the opportunity to interact with the villagers he would see to learn the culture. Rock told him there were real dangers in this land, that without foreknowledge of them, he would surely die. It was at this point that Rock told him of the highstorms. Highstorms were extreme storms that travelled from east to west and last hours. Rock warned that to be caught out in a highstorm was certain death. It was this warning that once again highlighted the difference between this world and Earth. Harry vowed then and there to learn as much as he could to survive.

As a small light drifted past Harry on the unseen breeze, Harry took this time to further enquire about these little sprites, apparently called spren. According to Rock mafah'liki, or spren, are pieces of god made manifest. He told Harry to always be respectful to spren, and they will be good to you. Harry's eyes followed the spren, which floated to his hand before drifting away. As Harry tried to swipe it away, he spilt his soup over the table.

"I'm sorry, Rock!" Harry said, looking at his hand. Harry noticed that somehow, his spoon had become stuck to his hand. "What the hell?" Harry said, lifting his hand, and consequently, his spoon, to his face. Harry looked to Rock and Tuaka and saw amused looks on their faces.

"Do not worry about it Traveller, mafah'liki are tricksters. You should feel honoured that one has deemed you worthy of its notice."

Harry looked closely at his hand, making a note of the soft light emanating from between his hand and the spoon. This was unlike any type of magic he had seen back on Earth. It once again reminded Harry to work further on his occlumency and wandless magic. In an unknown world, with magic-wielding, pieces of god floating around, he anything that would help him survive.

Rock looked at Harry and said, "If you are finished, we better head over to the kitchens to begin preparation for dinner."

Harry stood, and with a bow to Tuaka, headed to the first shift of his year-long servitude.

A/N Thank you for reading this far. The next chapter will see a time skip. That is all I know so far. Man, how do real authors keep up with their own plot? I know where I want to get in the long run, but I don't know how to get there.

Sorry for the time between chapters, but with work and life taking most of my time, the story is taking longer than I hoped.

In the meantime, everybody should read 'The Rage of Dragons' by Evan Winter. It is a refreshingly different African-inspired fantasy Novel that I struggled to put down.

Until next time.


	7. Chapter 7- Trust My Luck

Chapter 7 – Trust My Luck

The next few months of Harry's supposed servitude ended up being some of the most comfortable he had ever had. He spent his daylight hours in the kitchens, refining the skills he had first learnt under the Dursleys. At night, Harry was welcomed, with open arms, into Rock's already large family. His time under Rock's family's roof reminded Harry of the times he spent at the Burrow, and subsequently the Weasley's themselves. There was a hardworking, but eccentric, father; a loving, but slightly over-bearing, mother; an eldest son (Gift) that seemed to excel at everything; an eldest daughter (Cord), twin sister of Gift, who loved animals of all sorts but seemed drawn to the most dangerous; The second son (Rock Jr) was, alongside Tuaka'a the youngest, was the joker of the family. Star, the third son, was a stickler for the rules; and Shell, the second youngest, loved sports of all types. All that Harry kept thinking was that surely this could not last. Harry could not have period of sustained piece before the proverbial shit hit the fan.

Throughout his time with the Unkalaki, Harry learnt a lot about both the people he found himself among; and the lands upon they resided. The Unkalaki, or Horneaters, we one of many races of people found on Roshar. All of the race's had striking physical differences which made determining one's heritage much more straightforward, whether it be blue skin, red hair, long eyebrows, or wide eyes. A significant difference to Earth is that these traits breed true. If you are Alethi then you had black hair, guaranteed. However, if you had a parent from Iri, then you were nearly guaranteed to have a streak of blond in your hair, Many Alethi would consider lucky. The climate was another significant difference. Roshar was frequented by highstorms that have dramatically affected the landscape with the most eastern of lands having the hardiest of creatures and plants which have evolved to deal with the extreme weather. Most of the animals on Roshar have developed tough exoskeletons to cope with the high winds and chilling rain. However, others seemed to have evolved into amphibian type creatures who are capable of finding shelter in the tightest of spaces. Every 500 days these storms would stop, and Roshar would have 4 weeks of light rain and overcast skies. This period was called 'The Weeping'.

All this and more, Harry learnt while interacting with the villagers. At first, the villagers were sceptical about the Traveller who swam in their sacred lake and lived. However, the deep respect the villagers showed their Nuatoma tempered their initial hatred. Within the Unkalaki, the Nuatoma's word was almost as close to the words of the Stormfather (god). Therefore, if he said that Harry was to live and work with their village, then Harry was live and work with their village. There was no other consideration. Harry used this boon to forge relationships with the villagers, who in turn took it upon themselves to teach him not only their language but their crafts as well. Harry learnt weaving, farming and, his personal favourite, blacksmithing, albeit pretty poorly.

Throughout his days he also learnt of many of the individual customs the people of Roshar held. Customs that if Harry had been left ignorant of could have led to numerous altercations. Some traditions were linked with a person's gender, such as reading being unseemly for men; and women having cover their left hand or safe hand. However, the most important custom of the 'airsick lowlanders' as Rock put it was the determination of status based on eye colour, where 'light-eyes' were the social elite who ruled over the working class 'dark-eyes'. This form of social segregation would work in Harry's favour, as his emerald eyes would instantly make him 'better' than half of the population in the eyes of the social elite. Harry, however, loathed accepting this. Harry had already felt the effects of having his life determined by one facial feature, he did not want his new life to be determined by another. Harry vowed to himself then that he would act in a way to be judged by his actions, not his eye colour. With this in mind, Harry returned to his work with a determination which saw him gain further respect from the Unkalaki people.

Harry also decided to, during his free-time, restart the exercises he developed in the build-up to the final battle with Voldemort. He used a combination of exercises taken from the teachings of Iaido and Wing Chun, that focused on smooth, controlled movements, with a burst of quick, but relaxed, arm and leg actions. The exercises helped Harry develop both hand-to-hand and sword fighting skills which wreaked havoc on the Death Eaters, who Harry realised heavily relied on their wands. If you could take away their wand, and Harry was a master at the expelliarmus, they were sitting ducks to a more direct approach. A surprising side effect of learning these techniques was the development of his occlumency. The martial arts require a certain mentality, and Iaido and Wing Chun, in particular, require calmness of thought. This calmness and the repetitive motions of his exercises allowed him to enter a meditative state that helped him build his mind shields. Harry was thankful for this, as it looked as though it would be useful in the new world he found himself in.

Towards the end of his servitude the Nuatoma, Hasan, decided to go to Alethkar, home of the Alethi to win a Shardplate. It took Rock quite a while to explain.

"Shardplates and their counterparts, Shardblades, were once wielded by the Knights Radiant, warriors who fought for us against the Voidbringers during the Desolations. Until the Day of Recreance where they abandoned us." Rock casually answered Harry's inquiry. This answer threw up so many questions that he did not know where to begin. Luckily for Harry Rock saw the confused look on his face and decided to elaborate. "The Knights Radiant were a group of humans that possessed the powers of the gods. Some could heal with a touch, others destroy with a touch, and others could touch the skies themselves. They were warriors who led the realms of men against the Voidbringers. Not much is known about the Voidbringers, but what is known is that when they attacked, it was so destructive that they have been named desolations." Harry was enthralled. The history of this world was incredible.

"What happened to the Knight Radiants? Are they still around?"

"No, they are not around. Something happened, and the betrayed humankind. The day has forever been written into the history books as the ay of Recreance. Since that day the swords and armour have been fought over by nations. Those that hold a shard are held above nearly all others, and those few dark eyes who manage to get themselves a Shardblade they become a lighteyes. Our people do not have either a Shardblade or Shardplate. Legend says that the first Unkalaki to own a Shard will be able to unite The Peaks under one Nuatoma. Hasan believes he is ready to challenge an Alethi Prince for his Shardplate, so the Unkalaki will soon be travelling to Alethkar.

"We are going to war!?" Harry exclaimed, subconsciously identifying himself as an Unkalaki.

Rock smiled, recognising Harry's slip-up. "No, there will be no war. The Alethi have a system where anybody can challenge for a shard. If they have the funds to back it up.

"And what happens when someone loses?"

"Well, that depends on the victor. They can either make the loser yield, or they can kill them. In a challenge with a person with a Shardblade death is almost inevitable. This is due to the unique way Shardblades cut. A Shardblade cuts through all inanimate objects like butter, but anything living the blade mists and kills the soul within. That is why Hasan has decided he would challenge for a Shardplate first. While a Shardplate is nearly impenetrable and grants the user inhuman speed and strength, the likelihood of dying during the challenge is significantly less. Hassan believes that if he can win a Shardplate, it would then protect him when he challenges for a Shardblade."

It was at that moment a young boy ran up to Rock and Harry. First bowing to Rock, he turned to Harry. Sputtering, he said in Unkalai, "The Nuatoma has called for you." Harry had learnt enough of the language at that point to understand that simple command. So with a quick look to Rock and a thank you to the boy, Harry turned towards the centre of town, hoping what he was being called for was not bad news.

BREAK

Harry walked through the halls towards the room that he was last in for his trial. He reflected on the time he spent with these people, and how much had changed since previously walking through here. Last time, Harry had finally come to the conclusion that he wanted to live. He had vowed that, if he were sentenced to die, then he would have fought his way through these people. Many of whom he now called friends. That thought bothered Harry. Harry's steps slowed as he once again examined the history, carved into the walls, of the people he had grown so fond of. That he could have hurt, if not killed, people like Rock and Tuaka for the crime of wanting to protect this piece of paradise bought his mood crashing down.

With heavy steps, Harry pushed open the intricately carved doors a walked towards the table in the centre of the room, behind which sat Hasan. The looks on their faces were much less hostile, in comparison to Harry's trial. In the case of Hasan, there was even a hint of a smile. Their expressions put the slight unease that Harry had unknowingly developed, to rest. They were not the faces one wore when delivering bad news. Harry bowed to Hasan and nodded respectfully to his son Rashi and his wife Tali on his right, and his brother Nati, on his left. Harry sat, after receiving permission, in the single chair in front of the table and waited.

"We will speak in your native tongue. I know you have progressed well in our language, but what is to be said cannot leave room for misunderstanding." Hasan leant forward on his elbows and looked directly into Harry's eyes. "As you have no doubt heard, I am soon to be travelling to Alethkar to challenge for a Shardplate. However, for me to do this, I must take my retinue, which includes Rock. Now, this leaves me, and more importantly, you, with a decision to make. You are serving out a year of servitude, of which you have not quite completed half, under Rock. In normal circumstances, lf Rock was to leave, he would take any serving under him with him. However, I feel it would be unfair to force this move upon you, as you are not an Unkalaki, and this trip would almost undoubtedly take longer than your remaining service to us. Also know, that if I am to lose this challenge, all that I own will become the victors." Hasan paused for a moment, his eyes showing the strain he was under. "That includes my retinue."

Harry's eyes widened. The Shardplate was worth that much? So much that Hasan would risk the futures of his people on one roll of the dice. He was about to speak when Hasan stopped him.

"I see the horror in your eyes, Traveller. Before you speak and undoubtedly say something out of turn, know that the people I take, know the risks, and follow me anyway. Which brings me to my point. If you are still working under Rock when I, Stormfather forbid, lose, then you would also become the property of the Alethi prince I am challenging." Hasan paused for a second, bowing his head and rubbing his temples. "Unfortunately, the Alethi prince I am set to challenge, one Toral Sadeas, is known as a slaver. If you were to come with us, there is the distinct possibility that you could be branded, and have to serve the rest of your life as a slave. Therefore, I will leave the decision up to you. You can either come with us, and know that you may become a slave for the rest of your life, or you can serve out your remaining time under another Unkalaki, safe here in the Peaks."

Harry thought for a while but knew there was only one option he could take. "I have grown to love your people and know that it would be a mark against my name to abandon my duty before its end. With that in mind, I respectfully decline your offer to stay behind, and I will follow where you lead. Whatever the risks entailed."

Hasan's eyes, for a brief moment, lost some of their strain and his shoulders loosened. With a smile, Hasan leaned back in his chair. "I thought that would be the decision you would make. I have heard from my people that you have not squandered this opportunity. I have been informed that you are respectful, hardworking, and respect our culture. Know that you will be forever welcome within our lands.

Harry was humbled. He knew that an eye was being kept on him, but the idea that the villagers would speak so highly of him took him off guard. Standing, and with a final bow to Hasan, he left the room to get ready to travel to Alethkar. Harry had only one thought on his mind, "trust my luck."


End file.
